Sitting of 3 August 1893

GARVE AND ULLAPOOL RAILWAY BILL.
THE CHAIEMAN OF COMMITTEES (The Earl of MORLEY) moved—
"That the Order made on the 13th day of March last, 'That no Private Bill brought from the House of Commons shall be read a second time after Friday the 16th day of June next,' be dispensed with, and that the Bill be read 2a."
Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed for Tomorrow.

BURGHS GAS SUPPLY (SCOTLAND) ACT (1876) AMENDMENT BILL.—(No. 226.)

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Beading, read.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN, in moving the Second Beading, said, the object of the Bill was to do away, by a slight Amendment, with a doubt as to the construction of the Act of 1876, which provided that when Commissioners proposed to manufacture gas they should give notice to owners, lessees, and occupiers of every dwelling-house within 300 yards of the place, and obtain their consent, or make a Return to the Board of Trade of all lands required for that purpose. It had been doubted whether the alternative Return to the Board of Trade would be sufficient; and this Bill proposed that in future it should only be necessary to bring the matter before the Sheriff, in the event of any owner or occupier refusing or delaying to give the required consent within 10 days, who, after inquiry, would be empowered to find and declare that such consent be dispensed with. The matter had been considered by the Secretary for Scotland and by the Board of Trade, and had been agreed upon.
  Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a." —(The Earl of Camperdown.)
  Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow.

REDEMPTION OF RENT (IRELAND) ACT (1891) AMENDMENT BILL.

  COMMITTEE.
  House in Committee (according to Order).
  Clause 1.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNproposed, in pursuance of an agreement with Lord Acton, representing the Irish Office, an Amendment carrying out its views.
  Amendment moved,
  In line 8, to leave out from ("ground") to ("and") in line 12, and insert ("that the relation of landlord and tenant does not subsist between the parties thereto.")—(The Earl of Camperdown.)
  LORD ACTONsaid, the Irish Office had no objection in substance to the noble Earl's Amendments, and the Government would accept his Bill with a further Amendment, which was really a matter of drafting, to insert at the end of line 11, "that the relation of landlord and tenant does not subsist between the grantor or grantee."
  A subsequent Amendment was consequential.
  Moved accordingly.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNaccepted that Amendment of his Amendment.
  THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: My Lords, before we pass this, I merely wish to enter my protest with respect to this Bill. As the Irish landlords or owners do not seem to be troubled about it, I, of course, have nothing further to say; but I shall most energetically resist any proposal for extending a principle of this sort to this country. The principle is that anybody's fee-farm rent, though it is in the nature of a tenure which is entirely removed from any idea of connection between landlord and tenant, should be capable of appraisement and revision, and of being turned into money by a Public Department. That, my Lords, is a very large step, going beyond anything that has ever been done in this country; and I hope that our assent to it in this House, in the absence of objection from our Irish Members, will not be taken as a precedent—I know how quick my noble Friend the Lord President is at

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  making precedents — for any future legislation.
  THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (The Earl of KIMBERLEY): I am afraid that nothing can prevent what has actually been done forming a precedent — whether it be followed or not. Of course, it is open to anybody to say the precedent ought not to be followed. That is another thing. This is really a Bill rather in the nature of a measure for the compulsory redemption of copyholds which we have been talking about elsewhere.
  THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: No; redemption of copyholds is put under arbitration; but this procedure is to be under Acts in Ireland, of which, I am afraid, their best friends do not say otherwise than that they preclude all idea, of arbitration.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNsaid, he had stated that this Bill did not, in itself, contain any principle, but was merely in reference to the construction of an existing Act of Parliament. Under the previous Act, the principles contained in the original Act were extended to fee-farm rents. But, as a question of construction, it was discovered that, though the provisions applied to fee-farm rents executed after 1860, they did not apply to those executed prior to 1860. This Bill was merely introduced for the purpose of applying to these prior fee-farm rents.
  Amendments agreed to.
  Clause, as amended, agreed to.
  Clause 2 agreed to.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNproposed that the Standing Committee be negatived, as, in consequence of the approaching Adjournment, it would be impossible to pass the Bill.
  Moved, "That the Standing Committee be negatived."—(The Earl of Camperdown.)
  THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: I must ask the House to consider before they consent to that, because it is really destroying the principle of Standing Committee. This Bill has every element of a measure which should go to a Standing Committee. It has in it provisions in the nature of those expansive
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  germs which seem now to form part of our legislation. It is an example of that expansion of germs, where a principle begins to be carried out in a very small enactment—small as a grain of mustard seed; but, as we know, a seed of that kind can grow and develop into a large tree, and hereafter the fowls and vultures of spoliation will nestle in its branches. I think there will be ample time for the consideration of the Bill by the Standing Committee, as I do not think there is a possibility of an early Prorogation. My impression is that we shall meet again at the end of this month, and may possibly be here towards the end of the month after.
  THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNsaid, he would withdraw his Motion in accordance with the suggestion of the noble Marquess.
  Motion (by leave of the Committee) withdrawn.
  Bill re-committed to the Standing Committee; and to be printed as amended. (No. 240.)

  IMPROVEMENT OF LAND (SCOTLAND) BILL.—(No. 184.)
  Returned from the Commons with the Amendment agreed to.
  EDUCATION PROVISIONAL ORDER CON- FIRMATION (LONDON) BILL [H.L.] (No. 91)
  Returned from the Commons agreed to, with Amendments.
  EDUCATION PROVISIONAL ORDER CON- FIRMATION (LONDON) (No. 2) BILL. [H.L.]
  Returned from the Commons agreed to, with Amendments.
  LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL (GENERAL POWERS) BILL.
  Commons Amendments to Lords Amendments and Commons Reasons for disagreeing to some of the Lords Amendments to be considered on Monday next.

  REFORMATORY SCHOOLS BILL [H.L.] (No. 188.)
  Reported from the Standing Committee with Amendments: The Report

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  thereof to be received To-morrow; and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 234.)

  COUNTY OF THE CITY OF GLASGOW BILL.—(No. 216.)
  Reported from the Standing Committee with further Amendments: The Report of the Amendments made in Committee of the Whole House and by the Standing Committee to be received To-morrow: and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 235.)
  COMPANIES (CERTIFICATE OF INCOR- PORATION) BILL [H.L.]—(No. 178.)
  Reported from the Standing Committee with Amendments: The Report thereof to be received To-morrow; and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 236.)
  STATUTORY RULES PROCEDURE BILL. (No. 187.)
  Reported from the Standing Committee with Amendments: The Report thereof to be received To-morrow; and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 237.)
  LAW OF COMMONS AMENDMENT BILL [H.L.]—(No. 200.)
  Reported from the Standing Committee with Amendments: The Report thereof to be received To-morrow; and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 238.)
  LIVERPOOL COURT OF PASSAGE BILL. (No. 210.)
  Reported from the Standing Committee with Amendments: The Report thereof to be received To-morrow; and Bill to be printed as amended. (No. 239.)
  TRAMWAYS PROVISIONAL ORDERS BILL.
  Read 3a (according to Order), with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.
  MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY ACT (1882) AMENDMENT BILL.—(No. 224.)
  House in Committee (according to Order): Bill reported without Amendment; and re-committed to the Standing Committee.
  LAND TRANSFER BILL [H.L.]—(No. 230.)
  Amendments reported (according to Order), and Bill to be read 3a Tomorrow.
  TRUST INVESTMENT BILL [H.L.] (No. 232.)
  Amendment reported (according to Order), and Bill to be read 3a Tomorrow.
  CONVEYANCE OF MAILS BILL. (No. 223.)
  Amendments reported (according to Order), and Bill to be read 3a Tomorrow.

  HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES ACT (1890) AMENDMENT BILL. (No. 208.)
  Read 3a (according to Order), and passed.
  House adjourned at a quarter before Five o'clock, till To-morrow, half past Ten o'clock.